It had only been a few weeks since the whole nightmare with It ended. Derry felt quieter now, a little less haunted — or maybe it was just them, the Losers, trying to hold onto whatever peace they had left.

She had been a new face in town when it all began — thrown into the chaos of clowns, blood, and bullies. The Bowers gang cornered her once. Once. Because the Losers found her before things got worse. After that, she just fit. Bill, Stan, Mike, Eddie, Ben, Bev… and Richie.

Especially Richie.

No one expected him to be the one who fell the fastest. The loudmouth, the human megaphone, the king of inappropriate jokes — but the second he saw her, something in him quieted. A little. He still ran his mouth, but around her? There was a softness. A hesitation.

He’d confessed right after the final showdown with It. Honest, a little shaky, probably swearing too much — but she’d said yes. And now? Richie Tozier had a girlfriend. And the world hadn’t ended.

Tonight, the Losers were meeting at her place. Her parents were barely around, so her house became sort of an unofficial hangout. They knew the locks, they knew the rules, and they knew she always had the snacks ready.

Bill was the one who unlocked the front door.

"She probably forgot the time again," he murmured, stepping inside.

They all padded quietly toward her room — the usual spot for movie nights.

And sure enough, there she was. Sound asleep on her bed, hugging a pillow like it owed her money. Still dressed, lights dimmed, and the full stash of snacks laid out perfectly on the bedside table. She had definitely been planning to stay awake.

Beverly stifled a laugh, dropping onto a beanbag. “Guess she didn’t make it.”

“Look at that,” Eddie said, adjusting his fanny pack as he flopped next to Ben. “She even got the Red Vines.”

Stan grabbed a blanket off the chair and threw it over his legs. “We’re still watching the movie though, right?”

Mike nodded. “Obviously.”

And as they all got comfortable — two on her bed, the rest scattered around the room like they lived there — all eyes slowly turned to Richie.

He was standing by the door, staring at her with this crooked little smile.

Ben raised an eyebrow. “Well?”

“What?” Richie asked, even though he knew exactly what.

“You’re waking her up, genius,” Bev said, tossing a cushion at him. “She’s your girlfriend.”

Richie caught the pillow and sighed, dragging his feet over like it was the hardest thing in the world. But truth be told? He didn’t mind.

He sat at the edge of the bed, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, his voice lowering just enough for only her to hear.

“Wake up, sweetheart,” he whispered, a grin tugging at his lips. “We’re burning daylight. Or, y’know, movie night.”

She stirred, groaning softly against the pillow, still half-asleep but already smiling just hearing him.

And as the rest of the Losers started arguing over who got to pick the movie, Richie leaned down just a little closer, laying down on his side, trying to wake her up gently while the rest decided the movie..

Yeah. He could get used to this.